A Christmas Fairytale
by PT21
Summary: It's a magical time of year and meeting an old friend from Will's past seals his and Deanna's future. An old story of mine updated. Enjoy. Merry Christmas!


"Where are you taking me Will?" Deanna's excited chuckle rang through the Enterprise's corridors as Will dragged her along at a rapid pace just as excited as she was.

"I want you to meet someone, Deanna, someone who was very special to me in my past."

"Do I know her?"

Will laughed, "Why do you always assume it's a woman?"

Deanna grinned mischievously at him, "You mean it isn't?"

Will rolled his eyes, "No, it is not."

At last, they arrived at the holodeck and Will pulled Deanna into the stores where he promptly began to pile clothes onto her body as she stood there with a bemused smile on her face.

First came a long woolly scarf, then a thickly knitted bobble hat. She smacked Will's hand away as he miserably tried and failed to tuck her long, luxurious curls into its confines until Deanna tugged at his large cumbersome hands. "Leave it be, Will! I'll look stupid enough as it is."

Moments later he helped her into a very long warm coat and last, but not least, extra thick mittens. Deanna stood before him barely able to move with just enough of her face showing to be able to see where she was going. Will couldn't understand her muffled voice as she spoke to him and smiling widely at her he pulled the scarf away from her lips. "Sorry darling, what was that?"

"I said...I guess we are going to get cold, huh?" She asked with trepidation.

Will beamed his famous poker grin, pulled the scarf back over her mouth and somewhat mollified her in his rather over-bright way, "Only for a little while, sweetheart, I promise."

Deanna stood quietly by and watched as Will began to pull on his own cumbersome ensemble until, like her, only a piercing blue gaze full of mirth remained to be seen. Together they waddled out to the holo-suite door and Will spoke to the console before him, "Computer, run programme, Delta seven, authorisation code, Riker Omega one." Moments later, the monotone voice told him the programme was ready and opened its doors for them to enter.

Deanna gasped in awe at the scene that lay before her. As far as the eye could see were tall trees and like the ground were blanketed in pristine white snow, and waiting just a few feet away were two mottled grey horses reigned up to an odd looking carriage sitting on skis. At the other end of the reins sat a driver who was patiently waiting for them to climb aboard, which they did so when Will lightly touched her back, urging her forward, his excitement barely restrained.

She looked up into his face seeing only eagerness for her to enjoy whatever was coming for them both and reaching up her hand, the driver heaved her up onto the carriage and handed her a blanket to cover her own and Will's legs. Once he'd climbed aboard and settled beside her, Will draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side.

And then they were off. Deanna squealed as the horses moved off with a sudden jerk, but her unease vanished as they began to move through the breathtaking vista. Will had deliberately chosen the route through the forest and before long they began to spot animals out searching for food. Deanna was entranced with the deer with huge antlers and the tiny brilliant-white rabbits, almost invisible against the sparkling glow of the snow. But her absolute favourite, was the robin, perched on a branch weighted down with snow, its red breast as vivid as a beacon against its chaste background.

Deanna was beside herself with joy at the perfect gift that Will was bestowing upon her but only minutes later, she had a feeling that her surprise was not over. In the distance, they spotted a plume of smoke coming from a large shack half hidden in the dense forest, its roof loaded with thick snow, and its small square framed windows glowed with yellow light, welcoming them.

As the carriage pulled up outside, Will climbed down and helped Deanna off, keeping her close to his side as they stepped towards the heavy logged door. Will gave a loud knock and pushed opened the door which creaked and groaned with age. Stepping inside, they stomped the film of snow from their shoes and Deanna gasped at the sight that greeted them.

A huge wood fire dominated the entire room, throwing ribbons of colour around the walls. Lanterns blazed from various niches around the room and the aroma of hot roasted coffee tickled their noses making them groan with desire.

But it was the man who sat in a huge overstuffed chair by the fire's hearth that eventually captured their full attention. And it was this man that Will pushed Deanna towards with a huge grin upon his chilled reddened face.

"Deanna, I want you to meet Santa Claus, a very dear friend from my childhood."

But before she could say hello though, a very robust and warm voice boomed throughout the cabin. "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas! Come and sit on my knee and tell Santa Claus what your heart truly desires."

Deanna stepped back startled. "Excuse me?" She turned her wide eyes to Will. "Did he really just tell me to sit on his knee?"

Will was very serious as answered her, "Oh, yes, you _have_ to sit on his knee."

"You do! Did you when you came to visit him?"

Will was still serious when he answered, "Of course! You can't tell him what you want without sitting on his knee, Deanna."

Deanna thought about it for a moment before she found herself having to ask, "Didn't you find that a little...strange?"

Clearly Will didn't understand her misgivings as he frowned openly at her. "Of course not, he's Santa Claus! Everyone had to sit on his knee."

"Everyone?" She asked incredulously.

.

"Yes, everyone." Will responded amazed that he was even having to tell her so.

Suddenly Santa's voice made them both jump as they stood in silence contemplating the strange conversation that they were having between them. "Come child, come and tell me what Santa Claus can do for you. Have you been a good girl this year?"

Deanna was mortified at the overly familiar question. "I beg your pardon!" She turned open-mouthed to Will, not quite believing what she was hearing. "What is he implying, Will?"

Will sighed with frustration before patiently trying to explain the tradition to her as though she was a small child. "Santa Claus can only give you what you want if you've been good. If you've been naughty he doesn't come to visit you Christmas Eve."

"He comes to visit you, at your home?" She eyed him dubiously over her shoulder.

Will nodded innocently at her frowning face. "But of course. When you're asleep in your bed, he creeps into your house and leaves you a present."

Deanna snorted indignantly. "I'll just bet he does! Will, get me out of here...NOW!" Will was amazed when she turned about face and headed towards the door. "Deanna, what's wrong?"

She suddenly spun back to him and anger radiated from her as she almost spat at him, "How could you, Will. How could you encourage a dirty old man like that? And with me! How could you?"

The silence that followed was deafening as the impact of her words filtered through the befuddled minds of the two men that stared at her as though she had lost her mind. Until, eventually, realisation began to sink in and then, first, Will began to laugh, and then the old man followed. Hearty rich and loud gwaffs of laughter rang throughout the cabin and beyond its walls to the stark bleakness outside.

Deanna waited patiently until the laughter subsided enough for them to explain themselves.

Eventually Will desperately tried to reign in his amusement and reached for her hands. "Oh, Deanna, I am so sorry, forgive me. Please, come and sit down and I will explain."

Deanna eyed the two men warily before allowing Will to pull her closer to the fire to the other chair in the room and sitting a very chaste distance from Santa, folding her hands demurely upon her lap as she waited for Will to explain.

"Deanna, we have a legend on Earth that spans back, oh...generations and generations. Every year, at Christmas time, children would go to visit Santa Claus, sit on his knee and whisper to him what they would like for Christmas. Of course, most parents would already know what their child wanted, so they nearly always got it, so it looked like their wish had come true. The legend goes that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, with all his elves that spend the year making all the children's toys for Santa, and then his magical reindeer team delivers them on Christmas Eve."

Deanna looked from one man to the other as she tried to digest what she had just heard. "Are you pulling my leg?"

Santa roared with laughter. "Ho, Ho, Ho! Come and sit on my lap and make a wish, and we'll see if we are really pulling your leg or not."

Deanna was still bemused. "But...I'm not a child."

"It doesn't matter. It's if you truly believe that counts. Come, sit with me."

His huge chubby hand beckoned her towards him and Deanna felt the pull of his magic, and before she knew it she was balancing precariously upon his knee, scared to death of hurting him. But he showed no indication of her being too heavy at all and gently asked her, "Tell me, my child, what is it that your heart desires?"

Deanna leaned towards the white whiskered face and whispered into his ear. "I wish that Will and I were one, for always."

A tender smile crept on the old man's face as he hoarsely whispered back to her. "Your wish has been granted, my dear. Christmas morning will come and you will find your wish under your pillow."

A few minutes later Will and Deanna climbed back aboard the carriage and set back off for home and through the trees they heard the feint tinkling of bells."What's that Will?" Deanna asked with wonder.

"That's Santa setting off to deliver his gifts, he has a busy night ahead."

Deanna laughed at him as she hugged his arm to her as it lay across her lap beneath the blanket. "Oh, Will, you didn't really believe all that as a child, did you?"

Will was chagrined at her scepticism. "Of course! If there was nothing else stable in my life, I could always rely on Santa coming."

They travelled in silence for the rest of the journey, until at last; it all came to an end. Stepping outside the holodeck door, Deanna turned and took one more look at one of the most amazing days of her life.

Slipping the scarf from her face and neck, she reached up and pulled Will's face to hers. "Thank you, Imzadi." She whispered as their lips touched briefly. But then, as they pulled apart, they suddenly found they both needed more. Will wove his hand into the heavy mane of her hair and pulled her flush against his body for a searing kiss that left them both breathless. She'd tasted of snow but he'd soon melted her heart as he delved into the hot recess of her mouth leaving no doubt that the day, or the kissing, was not over for either of them.

When Deanna dreamily woke the next morning she was instantly reminded of what had happened just a few hours before when Will had taken her to bed and reclaimed her love. It had been the perfect ending to the perfect day.

Deanna slid to the edge of the bed and sat in a daze as she recounted how much had happened in the last twenty four hours. She'd had an amazing adventure to meet an amazing man, in an equally amazing location. It was a day that that she'd never forget, but not only because she'd gotten to meet Santa Claus, but because her one true love, her Imzadi, had at last, come back to her.

And then there had been that wish. Deanna chuckled as she remembered that wish. Santa was right, it had come true, but she wondered what he had meant by finding it under her pillow, especially when she had found it ON her pillow in the shape of Will's head. It had been more than she could have ever wished for.

Almost.

It was then she understood what the old man had said and her heart stopped beating. Slowly her hand slipped under the pillow and her delicate fingers fumbled around until eventually she realised that there was nothing there. Deanna sighed with disappointment as the conversation with the old man came back to her. *_You'll find your wish under your pillow.*_

Deanna moved across to the other side of the bed and slid trembling fingers under her own pillow, dragging them slowly across the silky material. Her heart pounded with anticipation and then despair when she found nothing. Sighing with defeat, she pulled her hand out from beneath the pillow, but gasped when her fingertip suddenly touched something small and hard.

Grasping the object within her fingers, Deanna finally pulled her hand out and stared at the object that now lay on her open palm and tears instantly sprung to her eyes. It was a gold ring with one solitaire diamond glinting like a captured star. She slipped it onto her finger and lifted it to her lips and placed a tender kiss to its ice cold surface as it was something that would always remind Deanna of her trip in the snow.

Suddenly she felt the bed give way behind her as Will came and planted a tender kiss to the hollow of her exposed shoulder blade, both admiring the gift that had spoken and reminded them of so much of its unusual arrival.

"See," Will whispered lovingly against her ear. "I told you he was real. Merry Christmas, Imzadi."


End file.
